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UK Sounds

UK Tings: Kano, Wiley, Taiwah

Kano - Hustler

VIDEO NSFW (The nipples are blurred out, but still…)

I already think that this video is one of the best of the year, but could this take this the best beat of the year honors as well? Kano’s album 140 Grime Street dropped in the UK last September and some over there are billing this as the London’s answer to Tha Carter III. If you don’t know what the video is referring to, then I suggest you re-watch New Jack City. I think this is probably one of the best videos of the year. What do y’all think?

Wiley - Cash In My Pocket

Wiley - Cash In My Pocket

Last time we heard from Wiley, the dude was calling his record company out on the Internets. Apparently, Wiley and The Man hugged it out, because his album, See Clear Now drops in the UK in January. His track Cash In My Pocket just dropped on the Internets (via DDoff) featuring Daniel Merriweather, and although the beat is dope, the hook is one of the most annoying things I’ve heard this year. Seriously, I can’t stand Autotune, but they need to throw some on this track.

Wiley describes See Clear Now as an “official” pop record, featuring collaborations with Lily Allen, Hot Chip, and Mark Ronson. I take it grime is officially dead, however, I’m curious to see how this album turns out.

Taiwah

Taiwah - Every Step

Sorry people, I have a MAD late pass with this one. If you don’t know, Taiwah is a South London based soul artist who is dropping some killer tunes right now. The 21 year old songstress is best known for working with Mark Ronson (who seems to be the Lil’ Wayne of the UK producer game right now), on his Versons LP that dropped last year though I wasn’t really feeling her contribution. However, her EP, titled In Jodi’s Bedroom, is simply amazing. It’s vaulting up my best album list as I type.

myspace.com/tawiah

Tags: Kano, Lily Allen, mark ronson, Taiwah, Wiley

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Rhymefest On New Album, El Che

Rhymefest, who is by far one of the most underrated rappers in the game speaks about his new album, El Che as well as his role as a Global Hip-Hop ambassador. Download his Man In The Mirror mixtape while you can.

Tags: Allido, Chicago MC, El Che, mark ronson, Rhymefest

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Hip-Hop

It’s Official: Wale Signs With Interscope

Got the press release here. Props to Wale for putting DC on the map!

Wale signs a joint deal with Interscope and Mark Ronson’s Allido records. Ronson, who has actually produced some fly hip-hop tracks before, will produce the upcoming album. This is a tremendous thing for the DC area. A rising tide lifts all boats, and Wale’s success will def. get people to look at other acts from DC. And remember where, we’ve been profiling this dude for almost 2 years.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – It has just been announced on 93.9 WKYS that DC-area hip hop artist, Wale, has signed with Interscope Records in a joint venture deal with three-time Grammy award winning producer Mark Ronson’s Allido Records.

Wale, 23, has seen a tremendous amount of success for an unsigned hip hop artist over the past year, gracing the covers of URB and DNR magazines, doing remixes for Justice, Chris Brown and MIA, performing at the MTV Video Music Awards, song licenses with Nike, ENTOURAGE and MTV and a growing internet buzz surrounding his most recent mixtape 100 MILES AND RUNNING and his upcoming Seinfeld-inspired project, THE MIXTAPE ABOUT NOTHING. Entertainment Weekly recently reported that the mixtape features a skit from Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Wale signed a production deal with DJ-turned-producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera) in June of 2007 after impressing him on Ronson’s European tour. Following an intense, six-month bidding war, Wale signed to a joint venture between Allido Records and Interscope, saying Jimmy Iovine, Luke Wood and the whole Interscope staff understood his vision better than anyone else.

“Look at their track record,” said Wale via phone on his way to perform at a Justice concert in DC. “Dre, Eminem, 50, Pharrell, Timbaland, Black Eyed Peas, Soulja Boy…the list goes on.”

“This is the best possible situation we could ask for,” says Daniel Weisman, Wale’s manager. “We waited and kept grinding until someone came with something we felt reflected the work we’ve put in; Interscope got it.”

Mark Ronson will executive produce Wale’s untitled debut album and contribute production to the project due out in fall. Other tentative contributors include past Wale-collaborators Osinachi (“Nike Boots”) and Best Kept Secret (“Back In The Go Go”), along with Just Blaze, Pharrell, Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Justice and DJ Toomp.

Allido Records is a New York City-based label founded in 2004 by Mark Ronson and former manager, Rich Kleiman. Allido Records has put out releases by Rhymefest and Daniel Merrieather through J Records, and by Mark Ronson through RCA. Wale’s album will be the first release through their new joint venture deal with Interscope.

Tags: dc hip-hop, interscope, mark ronson, Wale

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